The History of Halloween Candy

The History of Halloween Candy As featured in the free weekly Trimarni newsletter. Click HERE to subscribe.

Candy makers in the United States love Halloween. Why? Thanks to trick-or-treating and Halloween-themed parties, Americans will spend over $2 Billion on candy during this holiday season. Interestingly, the ritual of costumes, approaching the homes of strangers to ask for candy and haunted houses didn't become a national tradition until the late 1940's. At first, kids would receive nuts, fruit, cookies, toys, cakes and coins. Once the candy companies stepped in, trick-or-treat candy options became widely popular to increase fall sales. Whereas Christmas and Easter were popular candy events, Halloween-themed candies were created just for this festive holiday. Although Halloween is known to be a fun holiday for children (and creative adults who love to dress in costumes), candy is easy to buy, fairly inexpensive and convenient to distribute, making it a perfect choice for Halloween. More so, candy companies provide wrapped candy which is a safe alternative to homemade treats, which the later may pose risks of tampering or poisoning. Some of my favorite memories are from Halloween. I looked forward to dressing up in a creative costume and seeing the Halloween looks of my friends and neighbors. While Halloween costumes have become much more sophisticated over the past decade, something more noticeable has changed. Many children are at risk for obesity due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. And this is prior to the holiday season filled with sweets, treats and oversized portions of cookies, cakes and pies. By all means, every one of us deserves a sweet treat without guilt. Halloween candy will not sabotage your health, performance or body composition goals. One tootsie roll a day will not cause weight gain. If your typical eating plan is healthy and well-balanced, you aren’t cheating on your diet by yumming over a piece or two of Halloween candy. No need to be scared - just make sure to indulge responsibly. Popular Halloween Candy. What's your favorite to yum over?  1. Tootsie Pop - 67 calories 2. Hershey kiss - 22 calories 3. Nerds (1 tbsp) - 63 calories 4. Air head - 63 calories 5. Snickers Bar (fun size) - 74 calories 6. Baby Ruth (fun size) - 83 calories 7. Reese peanut butter cup (mini) - 42 calories 8. Reese's pieces (20 pieces) - 78 calories 9. Milky Way (fun size) - 78 calories 10. M&M's (fun size) - 74 calories 11. Dum Dum - 20 calories 12. Blow Pop - 60 calories 13. Twizzlers (3 pieces) - 120 calories 14. Smarties (1 roll) - 30 calories 15. Kit Kat (mini, 2 pieces) - 47 calories 16. Twix fun (mini) - 50 calories 17. Candy Corn (16 pieces) - 118 calories 18. Gummy bears (10 pieces) - 87 calories 19. Jolly Rancher - 24 calories 20. Skittles (mini package) - 100 calories

"One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." Iris Murdoch

from Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition https://ift.tt/2DeAnrr